There are two key things that health officials need to know before there can be any change in current restrictions around Covid-19.
The first is that the disease needs to be at a very low level. They also need to be assured that we as a population can keep the reproduction rate of the virus at or below 1, and that we can take measures to drive it below 1 if necessary.
Today, the man leading the expert modelling team guiding public health officials presented a very positive picture of where this virus now stands.
Professor Philip Nolan said there has been a "very significant suppression of the growth of Covid-19 and the transmission of it". Growth rate In the middle of March, the growth rate in the number of new cases stood at around 33%,